Cuvettes are typically used for holding samples, such as aliquots of a reaction mixture, an environmental sample, blood, urine or fractions thereof, for use in medical diagnostic test procedures requiring optical measurements. Immobilization, capture or recovery of an analyte of interest in the sample may be accomplished using magnetic particles.
A goal of medical laboratories is to enhance laboratory efficiency by automating clinical diagnostic test procedures, such as immunoassay, and increasing throughput. Automated clinical diagnostic devices analyze a greater number of samples than manual assays in a given timeframe, while at the same time minimize the number of interactions between laboratory personnel, the samples, and the clinical diagnostic instrument. Clinical samples, usually available in small quantities, and the reagents used in clinical diagnostic procedures are costly. Automated assays utilizing magnetic particle must capture substantially all of the magnetic particles in a sample to collect and analyze the analyte of interest.
Therefore, it would be desirable to provide a cuvette for use in an automated clinical diagnostic device that accommodates a small volume of fluid, such as the sample and reagent fluids, and captures, washes, and resuspends the magnetic particles within the small volume of fluid.